I'll Be Home For Christmas
by Jocasta Silver
Summary: This Christmas will be different. One-shot


Author's Note: As the holidays approached, I toyed with the idea of doing a one-shot based on a Christmas song. At first I thought of "Last Christmas", with the idea of a character reflecting on a past love. Only, I could not figure out what set of characters would work with that theme. Then I thought of "I'll Be Home for Christmas", which lead me to the idea of Sally Jackson's thoughts during that Christmas when Percy has disappeared.

Disclaimer: Simple logic. Rick Riordan owns Percy Jackson. I'm not Rick Riordan, therefore I don't own "Percy Jackson".

I'll Be Home for Christmas

Christmas Eve, 2008

A cold wind is blowing through New York City. Very, very, late holiday shoppers are browsing through stores trying to find that perfect gift among the unwanted products that earlier smarter customers have tossed aside. Snow is falling. Even better, it's not that ugly winter mix of ice and sleet. It is a shower of soft white downy flakes. A beautiful perfect Christmas snow.

There's a woman who is walking through the snow. She has on just a light jacket over her shirt and jeans ensemble. Not shopping, just walking with no other place to go. She's just thinking, about the past, and a certain little boy.

_Christmas Day, 2000_

_"Merry Christmas, Mom!" Percy jumps on the bed excitedly, startling her out of her dreams of monsters and myths. Maybe, the reason this Christmas is better is because Gabe, horrible smelly Gabe, is away on a "business trip"._

_She smiles as he presents her with a necklace of sea shells he collected at Montauk this summer. It's simple, but sweet. Just her little boy as he excitedly devours his blue candy. She can only hope he stays that way. _

_Christmas Day, 2005_

_This Christmas is a hard one. Good, because that horrible Gabe is gone for good. It was such a sweet revenge to turn that creep to stone. But hard because this is the first Christmas that Percy knows the truth about his dad. _

_But Percy seems to be just happy as he opens the gifts from his two best friends. This is the first time he has ever gotten a gift that wasn't from her. As he munches on his candy and tries to play the reed flute Grover crafted for him, Sally can't help but smile._

_Christmas Day, 2006_

_This is an ultimate minefield of a Christmas. She's a little nervous when Percy comes home from camp. What will he think of Paul? Paul's just amazing. He understands and loves writing just as much as she does. They love a lot of the same books and best of all, Paul is just a nice guy._

_Though, Percy seems troubled as he eats his blue candy. But when she asks if he's bothered by Paul, he quick to reassure her that Paul isn't a problem. He actually seems __**happy**__ that she is dating. _

_"You of all people deserve happiness Mom," he says._

_But Percy is wrong about that. She believes that he, who has already suffered through three quests, and has a prophecy resting on his shoulders, deserves a chance of even a sliver of happiness, and a chance to love._

_Christmas Day, 2007_

_This is the hardest Christmas they have been through. With the war looming on the horizon, it's a fight just to convince Percy to take some time off his training for Christmas. This is their first winter visit to Montauk. She has a feeling, almost a premonition that they won't be able to come here next summer. This is also the first trip they have taken with Paul, who she would soon be tying the knot with next month._

_She is somewhat wary of this, yet Paul and Percy seem to get along really well. She likes how Paul treats Percy as a surrogate son. What really worries her is Percy. He seems to quiet, as if experiencing an inner turmoil. She has a suspicion that Annabeth has something to do with it. Call it motherly intuition, but she had guessed at the pair's feelings for each other. She could only hope that they would reveal their feelings soon. Her troubled thoughts are broken by a yowl. She turns and laughs as she observes Paul struggling to release himself of a crab who has clamped a claw into his right hand. For a moment, there is peace._

Christmas Eve, 2008

Yet musing on these events brings her no relief. Percy, her son, her child, is missing, gone. She had planned this Christmas for months. Annabeth was coming over for dinner, and Sally had felt excitement at the thought. Percy had seemed so happy once he and Annabeth had started dating. Annabeth was still coming over anyways, but it would not be the same. Not the same without Percy. Yet, she could not help but yearn, and pray, that somehow, someway, Percy would be with them for Christmas, if only.

…

Somewhere, far away, there is a grove of red sycamore trees. It is a quiet place, no cars, no hikers, no wildlife, a far cry from the bustling complex of Manhattan. In this clearing, there is a boy. He has very ruffled black hair and green eyes. He was sleeping, so deeply in the walls of unconsciousness. But then, there was a moment of greater awareness. He did not awaken, but he became more aware. He felt the sensation of warmth as if he were in a nice cozy apartment. Which in a very strange supernatural way, he was. He could hear voices faintly, laughing, joking. He could not distinguish what they were saying, but he could hear all the same.

Then there was soft voice that he could put a name to, but seemed distinctly familiar. "Merry Christmas, Percy!"

"_I'll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams."_

Author's Note: I have tried to keep the characters in character as I possibly can, if they are too OOC, please let me know. With that said, I hope you enjoyed this one-shot, please read and review.


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